


Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

by ImLikeALightswitch



Series: Aed is a Bastard [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Balmora (Elder Scrolls), Blood and Injury, Fighting Wildlife, Luccedian has no idea how to talk to people, Murder, Nasty Man Consumes Blood, Poor man is confused by kindness, Vvardenfell (Elder Scrolls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:55:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImLikeALightswitch/pseuds/ImLikeALightswitch
Summary: Luccedian investigates the town of Balmora after recovering from his escape from Coldharbour and learns his whereabouts in Nirn after a couple unfortunate encounters and an uneasy conversation with a friendly Innkeeper.
Series: Aed is a Bastard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024791
Comments: 44
Kudos: 2





	Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy, second post! Third part is in the works. Things will only go up from here, I promise. 
> 
> Advice and constructive criticism are as always encouraged and appreciated :)

Luccedian approached the town ahead of himself, emerging from the trees. He stopped before he got too close, examining the sight before him. He glanced along a path to what seemed to be an entrance to the town, but there was…  _ Something _ standing near it. It was  _ massive _ , towering high over the city walls. Its legs were long and thin, it looked like a bug on stilts. It was just standing there. He moved to get a different angle to look at it, standing behind a large tree for some sense of safety. The thing had a tented saddle on its back, suggesting domestication. Strange…

He moved to the other side of the tree, glancing at the entrance he found into the town. He took note of the singular guard standing in front of it, but it was standing to one side of the entrance, leaving the other side unguarded. Interesting.

He got as close as he could without being detected, trying to get a look into the entrance to see into the city. There didn't seem to be any other guards inside that he could see, so once he passed this one, he should have a bit more freedom of movement. Though, there were most likely other guards inside of the city, but that's what he was here for, to see what he was up against.

Maybe he could find a change of clothes. Just something to change into to get out of these Worm Cultist clothes, so he wouldn't draw so much unwanted attention. After a moment of careful consideration, Luccedian made his move. He ignored the entrance, deciding to instead further scout the outside of the city.

He found the stables under the big stilt creature, a bridge across a river that seemed to stretch under the walls and through the whole city, and across the river was a market of sorts, closed up for the night and thankfully unguarded. He crossed over the nearby bridge and passed the market, deciding to investigate that later. Right now he needed to find new clothes as soon as possible to blend in and avoid an issue if he was caught. 

He found himself drifting away from the cobbled paths of the city, towards a rocky outcrop nestled into some trees, searching for a higher vantage point to see what else was around. As he scaled the rocks, he heard a discomforting sound, very close. It was a shrill chirping, with a bit of a hiss. He quickly looked for the source of the sound and found it directly to his right.

A winged creature perched beside him on the stone, with a pointed beak full of granted teeth, clawed, webbed wings, and a long tail that whipped behind it. Before he could react, it let out a high-pitch screech, and swiftly pulled itself over the rocks towards him.

Luccedian quickly tried to retreat but the creature was too fast. It turned, giving him a harsh whip against his side with its tail, sending him rolling down the rocks with the unexpected force of the hit. Luccedian snarled when he got to the ground, pulling himself to his feet and pulling out his dagger as the creature approached again.

He slashed at its face when it got close, aiming for the eyes. He got a couple hits in, the creature's blood splattering him and the ground, earning him another ear-piercing shriek. Suddenly it withdrew and took to the air with a beat of its wings, and for a moment Luccedian thought it was retreating until it lunged forward, sweeping him off of his feet. When the winged beast collided with him, Luccedian quickly wrapped an arm around its neck and used this position to drive his dagger into its throat.

The creature wailed in pain but continued to attack, locking its jaws around Luccedian's shoulder as its own blood dribbled from its mouth, crunching the leather and metal of his armor in its teeth, making him grit his teeth and shout as it pried him off of itself and tossed him to the ground. Luccedian pulled himself to his feet again, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, bracing himself when the creature approached to attack again. He ducked to the side to dodge its attack, grabbed the handle of the blade still in its throat, and pulled it out, then spun and stabbed it into the creature's head as it passed him in one swift motion. It shrieked for a final time and crumpled to the ground, going limp.

Luccedian panted quietly as he caught his breath, approaching the creature and giving it a bit of a kick. When it didn't respond, he sighed, rolling his shoulders and wincing when the bitten one hurt. Giving it a look, the armor had been pierced and he was bleeding, but there didn't seem to be any serious damage, and the rest of himself seemed alright, only a few scrapes and bruises.

Luccedian ignored his wounds for now, and climbed back up the rocks. Climbing up higher than before, he saw a structure in the distance that seemed to be some sort of lookout tower and a wall. He passed over the rocks, quietly dropping down on the opposite side of them, into a small valley between two stoney cliffs. 

Creeping towards the tower and log walls, he could see two Dunmer guarding an opening that lead to what looked like the exterior of a mining operation. Two mer, ripe with armor for the taking.

Luccedian crouched, approaching as stealthily as he could from the side. The two mer were having a casual conversation about a woman one of them met in a tavern, unaware of the fellow mer stalking them like prey.

Their conversation was interrupted as Luccedian lunged from the shadows, wrapping an arm around one of the mer and driving his dagger into his neck. The other mer quickly drew his sword and ran at Luccedian, but Luccedian used the body of his former companion as a meat shield, and his attacker's sword ripped into the dead mer instead of its intended target. He dropped the body and slashed at the other mer, carefully dodging the swipes and stabs of the sword. It was hardly much of a fight, this mer was outmatched. With a well timed stab, Luccedian embedded his dagger into the chest of the man, giving it a twist before tearing it back out, splattering blood all over himself and the ground yet again with a sickening crunch.

The two slain mer were dragged one by one through the opening they had been guarding, to be hidden beneath the lookout tower and stripped of their armor. Luccedian could see more mer and men busy guarding or mining the rock walls of the area, but thankfully they were too far away to spot him. He made quick work of stripping his victims, fleeing the walled area with his reward.

Luccedian approached the city once more, dressed in the dumpy clothes and armor of the slain mer with as much blood washed out of them as he could manage in the river. Out of sight and in no hurry, he carefully bathed the blood from his dagger with his tongue, taking in the bitter metallic taste, licking it from his lips with a soft chuckle.

He entered the city without fear, confident he wouldn't be picked out and driven off as soon as anyone saw him. He entered the city through an entrance by the markets, with no issue from the guard standing in front of it, much to his relief. It was certainly a change of pace to not have folks attacking him on sight for once.

There wasn't anything of obvious interest, only one or two people about, minding their business. Luccedian didn't stare in order to avoid being suspicious, but he looked enough to identify both of them as Dunmer, which there seemed to be a large amount of here.

He wandered for a bit, crossing one of the bridges of the city. He found himself in front of an inn, which seemed to still be open. He didn't plan on doing anything too involved or risky until daylight, but… perhaps it would be less risky at night, with less people about. He gave it a moment of thought before deciding to take his chances, entering the establishment.

He was greeted immediately by a woman sitting at a desk, who looked up at him as he entered. She gave him a pleasant smile. It was hard to tell if she was a Bosmer or an Altmer, but she was certainly a mer, given away by long tapered ears, sharp features, and tilted, pointed eyes.

"The fire's warm and the roof doesn't leak, so come on in and make yourself comfortable!" She welcomed him warmly, and Luccedian blinked a few times, taken aback by the warmth. 

Those things both sounded nice, very nice, actually. Then he narrowed his eyes a bit. This sounded like a game Seducers play, luring less stubborn mer and men in with promises of pleasure and comfort. This was some sort of trick, he knew. This woman was no Seducer, she was a mortal mer, but that didn't mean her intentions were guaranteed to be good. Being cautious and untrusting was a quality that kept one alive in Coldharbour.

"No thank you, I don't think I will." Luccedian spoke bluntly, approaching the desk and the woman. She frowned, looking confused and taking a small step away from the counter between them when Luccedian approached and placed his hands on the wood, almost as if to be intimidating.

He was much taller, broader, and stronger than this woman and most mer in general, but still maintained the compact and lean builds of the elven races. He was a large and commanding presence in this place, unable to let go of the unapproachable and intimidating way he learned to carry himself in Coldharbour. Despite his demeanor, the woman continued to try and be respectful and inviting.

"Alright, I see how it is… What can I do for you?" She asked, trying to maintain a friendly face and tone. She was running a business, after all. Luccedian thought for a second. What could this woman do for him?

"I need a map of the local area." He stated this as if it were a demand instead of a request. The woman seemed unbothered.

"A map of Balmora? Or of Vvardenfell?" The woman raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly. Luccedian furrowed his brows in thought as he took in the question.

"... You would be implying that this town is Balmora, in Vvardenfell?" 

The woman looked at him a bit sideways, seeming confused and suspicious. Luccedian didn't miss this, but he didn't feel compelled to leave just yet.

"...You are in Balmora, yes. In Vvardenfell. You a traveler, or a drunk?" The woman joked, chuckling a bit. Luccedian forced a dry chuckle in return, trying to match the woman's positive energy and let go of his tough demeanor. People were more likely to help if you were kind.

Vvardenfell. One of the homes of the Dunmer, if he wasn't mistaken. Part of Morrowind. An ashen wasteland centered around a volcano. At least he fit in, he supposed, being a Dunmer himself. But perhaps this made his ignorance to the area and his mannerisms even more noticeable and suspicious.

"I am certainly a traveler of sorts. I need a map of Vvardenfell."

"I think I just might have a few." The woman dug around on her side of the counter and pulled up a rolled parchment, handing it over. Luccedian reached out to take it, then stopped. Of course, he wasn't so out of touch as to think he didn't have to pay for goods.

"I have no gold." He shifted uncomfortably, frowning a bit and withdrawing his hand. Normally he would have no issue taking it and running, but it wouldn't be very smart to make himself an enemy in the only town he knew of as of right now. The woman shook her head and smiled.

"Ah, just take it. I have a few copies, and I wouldn't feel right letting a wanderer get lost." She seemed genuine, and handed it a bit further. Luccedian watched her warily, searching her face for any sign of trickery or withheld truths. But… there was none. He slowly reached out and took it, his ears lowering slightly in confusion. Generosity, it was unfamiliar.

"I… Thank you."

"Of course, no problem. Are you looking for a place to stay the night? Maybe a bit of booze to ease the mind?" She tilted her head, still smiling warmly. Luccedian's alarm bells were ringing once again and he shook his head. Booze and a bed certainly sounded nice, but that's probably exactly what this woman wanted him to think. She gave him this gift to get in his head, to butter him up while he was confused and trying to be kind. He frowned and narrowed his eyes in suspicion once more, and whatever comfort and vulnerability that had crept out during this conversation was lost.

"No. I need to be going. Thank you for the map." He quickly and awkwardly turned on his heel and headed for the door, leaving before the woman could get a word in.

That was… weird. Very weird. Why was she being nice? What was she trying to get from him? Was it a trap? Was the map cursed? Why would she just give it away? These thoughts spun in his head as he slowly opened the map, expecting something to happen. He expected pain, magic, a flash of light, some sort of terrible curse to emerge, but none did. He found himself looking at a map, a plain, regular map. It was faded and rumpled at the edges, but still serviceable. Excellent. He left the city triumphantly, perching himself on a rock and pulling out a simple charcoal pencil he had stuffed away into his pack.

He could see the volcano clearly at the center of the map, and the massive winding roads that connected each major city here. Nothing was labeled, which was rather annoying. However, looking at the geography and rivers of the map, he could tell where he was. He marked an empty space on the top of the map with " _ Vvardenfell _ ", and the city he was in as " _ Balmora" _ , in his strange handwriting.

He was fluent in writing in Daedric and Tamrielic, and his handwriting was a bastard child of the two. Some Tamrielic letters and phrases had extra markings and symbols that had no place being there, and his Daedric writings had the same issue. His script in each language was readable, just strange. 

Examining the map, he could see that the nearest settlement was small and discreet, hidden among what seemed to be patchy wetlands. He looked up and noted the road nearby, which must be the one leading to this small settlement.

With his next destination in mind, Luccedian got up and headed back to the area he had slept, explored, and hunted near previously to wait for daylight. Balmora seemed like a decently large and established town, so perhaps it would be best to linger here for some time. Maybe he could acquire some gold, to aid in his exploration.

As Luccedian left the city, a single beady red eye watched him from the shadows, slowly following as Luccedian reached a safe distance. The light of lanterns glinted off of foreboding metallic armor as the figure walked. Claws gently clicked on the stone of the streets of Balmora as two scamps followed the figure, quietly cackling and giggling amongst themselves. As Luccedian entered the forest, the figure approached from some distance behind him.


End file.
